“A full-circle moment.” That’s how NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick described the moment as he filled in the shoes of the head coach at Chapel Hill, holding his father’s old sweatshirt before the media. Steve Belichick worked in the capacity of an assistant coach for North Carolina from 1953-1955, and now Bill Belichick takes on the head coach role. The former New England Patriots coach, therefore, has both history and experience with the pigskin, and taking him lightly would be a mistake…

Belichick, at 72, could have chosen to step away to the sidelines, but the love for the sport won him over. “Beats working,” as he described it. A dream come true, he called it. Now he straps on for his first coaching stint with UNC, an ACC program, whose 6-7 record in 2024 needs Belichick’s ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ approach. Obviously, UNC got the limelight at the ACC Media Days as the Belichick takeover made headlines. Although with around a month to go for the 2025 season, we still have some time to witness his CFB stint with the Tar Heels. However, his recruiting strides are already making waves in the circuit, giving LSU and others a run for their recruits.

The former Patriots coach is going strong and brewing big, hand-picking QBs for a robust future roster. And honestly, if the legendary Bill Belichick is calling you, you can’t resist the proposition, can you? The Tar Heels already got Mitch Trubisky, Sam Howell, and Drake Maye in their recent elite QB squad. And within a couple of months, the HC stacked up the 2026 class as well with 34 commits, raking in fourth position in the ACC conference. But Belichick’s quarterback recruits have got the CFB mulling over. Can Belichick’s 2-sport QB duo turn UNC into ACC’s next big threat? The only questions. Who are they and what do they bring to the table?

Let’s start off with Class of 2025 Bryce Baker. A 6-2’2.5, 200-pound recruit out of East Forsyth High School, North Carolina, is touted as Belichick’s first big recruiting win. Brian Kelly was after him, so was Penn State, but ultimately, Belichick won him over. But, wait. Baker gave his verbal pledge in 2023, and Belichick took over in December 2024. But why is there a gap?

Well, Baker committed to the Tar Heels in June 2023 when the then-coach Mack Brown steered the command. But Brown was fired at the end of the regular season, and Baker had not yet signed with UNC during the early signing period. So, LSU and Penn State were pretty much in the equation as well. But then, Belichick appeared on UNC’s scene, and over a Zoom call, the former Patriots coaching legend won him over. “I feel like [Belichick] will bring in the right pieces to build around me,” he said per ESPN.

In his high school senior year, he completed 75% of his passes for 3,523 yards and 40 touchdowns against five interceptions, with the Rivals ranking him the No.9 QB in the 2025 class. Scout Charles Power went further to describe him as a “well-rounded quarterback; Has an easy 3/4 throwing motion,” and more. Not to forget that he is a basketball standout as well, tallying double-digit scores in his high school career.

And the spring drills—marketed as the Tar Heels’ ‘Practice Like a Pro’ day- saw his performance. He had the play of the day as dubbed by the Fayetteville Observer, with a drop-in-the-bucket throw to a TE on a fade route, ending with a catch.

He struggled at times with his timing as defenders closed in on him. On the brighter side, he led several scoring drives. WR Jordan Shipp further praised the freshman. “I would say the biggest thing for Bryce that’s gonna set him apart is the way he works and the way he approaches everything, his preparation as a lead. He’s always in here watching film.”

As of now, UNC has not declared its QB1. The contenders include Max Johnson, Bryce Baker, and Gio Lopez. It seems Baker has the upper hand in the upcoming season as he was the only one of the three QBs to have participated in the spring drills.

Bill Belichick’s recruiting win with the class of 2026

So, UNC got Bryce Baker on its turf, who else? Who’s the next prospect? It’s none other than Class of 2026 commit Travis Burgess. “I know a lot of guys have mixed emotions about Bill Belichick just because they see some of his interviews on the internet, but actually meeting him in person, I got a relationship with him. Being able to talk with him and understand him, he is very relatable,” Burgess said per The Athletic.

And you know what, Belichick screamed charisma when recruiting the Grayson High School product. Belichick told Burgess, “I’m gonna show you why I wanted to recruit you,” and then proceeded to show him his game film, where the QB led his high school team to a 7A state title. Well, the 6’5, 205-pound QB couldn’t pass on playing under the legend’s wing. So, he made the run for UNC, turning down offers from Auburn, NC State, and others.

And honestly, you could see the potential. In his first year as the starting QB, he tallied 24 touchdown passes, 4 interceptions, 4 more touchdowns, and covered 600 yards, with Rivals ranking him at No. 14 as a QB in the 2026 class. Enter June. Elite 11 comes knocking at your door and you rock the opportunity, raking in the No. 4 spot in the final Elite 11 rankings. Justin Hoover, an Elite 11 coach who is credited with coaching several NFL QBs, praised the kid. “He really stood out. He was a big riser for me.”

But that’s not it. The Grayson senior is also a basketball standout, leading the Rams to their first basketball title. Yes, a dual-sport winning beast indeed. Well, what else stands out for him is his military-drilled-routine-discipline. His dad, Harold Burgess, served in the army for over 24 years, and the discipline has trickled down to his kids as well. “Him being around a lot of military people; I think the discipline that he’s been around for his entire upbringing will definitely benefit him,” as Harold put it.

It appears that UNC’s recruiting machinery is going strong. What about the upcoming season? We’ll only come to know in the coming weeks.